ANCIENT KINGDOMS
In 377 BC the Sinhalese established Anuradhapura as the capital of their kingdom. In 250 BC Sinhalese king Devanampiya Tissa converted to Buddhism during a missionary visit by Mahinda, son of Indian emperor Ashoka. The Sinhalese monarch became a powerful patron of Buddhism, firmly establishing it as the official religion of his kingdom. The art and architecture of Anuradhapura flourished under Buddhist influence and state patronage.
The kingdom prospered under a system of settled agriculture. By the 1st century AD, the Sinhalese had built several large-scale irrigation works that included a complex system of dams, reservoirs, and canals. The irrigation works allowed them to cultivate rice and other crops on a grand scale in the dry north central plains, where Anuradhapura was centered.
Despite recurring invasions from south India, Sinhalese kings held sway over Anuradhapura for several centuries. In the late 900s, however, the Cholas (a Tamil-speaking people from south India) conquered the capital and annexed Rajarata, the agricultural center of the Sinhalese kingdom.
In 1070 Sinhalese king Vijayabahu I drove the Cholas out of Sri Lanka and established a new capital at Polonnaruwa, about 80 km (about 50 mi) southeast of Anuradhapura. The kingdom prospered until about 1200, when it entered a period of decline marked by dynastic succession disputes, social and economic instability, and repeated invasions from south India. When the kingdom finally collapsed in the late 1200s, the Sinhalese abandoned their settlements in the north central plains and migrated to the southwest. In the north, meanwhile, a Tamil kingdom centered at Nallur (near present-day Jaffna) in the Jaffna Peninsula expanded its influence during the 1200s and 1300s.
T SUNAMI
Tsunami Disaster of 2004
On December 26, 2004, the world’s most powerful earthquake in 40 years struck deep under the Indian Ocean. The magnitude 9.0 earthquake was centered off the northwestern coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The earthquake triggered a tsunami (massive waves), which spread across the Indian Ocean and crashed into the coasts of 14 countries from Southeast Asia to the eastern coast of Africa. Killer waves hit the coast of Sri Lanka about two hours after the quake. Due to the absence of a tsunami early warning system in the Indian Ocean, coastal communities in the region were not forewarned of the impending disaster.
The tsunami was the deadliest in recorded history. The International Committee of the Red Cross reported a death toll of more than 250,000 people as a result of the tsunami and the earthquake. Indonesia, nearest the epicenter of the quake, suffered the largest loss of life. Sri Lanka was the second hardest-hit country, with more than 30,000 people reported dead or missing. High death tolls were also reported in Thailand and India. In addition, millions of survivors were left in desperate need of food, water, shelter, and medical care. International humanitarian organizations and governments responded to the widespread devastation with one of the
On December 26, 2004, the world’s most powerful earthquake in 40 years struck deep under the Indian Ocean. The magnitude 9.0 earthquake was centered off the northwestern coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The earthquake triggered a tsunami (massive waves), which spread across the Indian Ocean and crashed into the coasts of 14 countries from Southeast Asia to the eastern coast of Africa. Killer waves hit the coast of Sri Lanka about two hours after the quake. Due to the absence of a tsunami early warning system in the Indian Ocean, coastal communities in the region were not forewarned of the impending disaster.
The tsunami was the deadliest in recorded history. The International Committee of the Red Cross reported a death toll of more than 250,000 people as a result of the tsunami and the earthquake. Indonesia, nearest the epicenter of the quake, suffered the largest loss of life. Sri Lanka was the second hardest-hit country, with more than 30,000 people reported dead or missing. High death tolls were also reported in Thailand and India. In addition, millions of survivors were left in desperate need of food, water, shelter, and medical care. International humanitarian organizations and governments responded to the widespread devastation with one of the
Sei Lanka
INTRODUCTION
Sri Lanka, in full, Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, island republic in the Indian Ocean, lying off the southeastern tip of the Indian subcontinent. The Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannār separate Sri Lanka from India. The Arabian Sea lies to the west, the Bay of Bengal to the northeast, and the Indian Ocean to the south. Colombo, situated on the western coast, is the largest city and the commercial capital of Sri Lanka. The administrative capital is Sri Jayawardenepura (Kotte), located about 16 km (about 10 mi) east of Colombo.
The population of Sri Lanka is about 20 million. Ethnic groups include the Sinhalese, who form the majority of the population, and the Tamils, who form the largest minority group. Agriculture is the largest sector of the economy in terms of employment, but manufacturing generates the majority of export earnings. Sri Lanka has a democratic political system, with a directly elected president as head of state.
Sinhalese and Tamil kingdoms ruled the island now known as Sri Lanka from ancient times until the 1500s, when Europeans established colonial rule. First the Portuguese, then the Dutch, and finally the British colonized the island. The island was a Portuguese colony from 1517 to 1658, a Dutch colony from 1658 to 1796, and a British colony from 1796 to 1948. The British colony, called Ceylon, gained independence in 1948. The newly independent nation retained the name Ceylon until the 1972 constitution renamed it Sri Lanka. Since independence Sri Lanka has maintained a democratic, multiparty system of government. A civil war that erupted in 1983 between the Sinhalese-dominated government and Tamil separatists, who demand the creation of an independent Tamil nation, remains unresolved.
god
“LIFE
It’s a great burden
Given away
But
Once it’s interesting
And enjoyable
Everything happens
According to God’s pleasure
Man is oscillating
On his fingertips
It’s a great burden
Given away
But
Once it’s interesting
And enjoyable
Everything happens
According to God’s pleasure
Man is oscillating
On his fingertips
Lord Buddha
BUDDHA
Siddhartha Gautama, the man who became known as Buddha, could have led a comfortable, carefree life. But he devoted himself to a search for truth and understanding so that he could
help end the suffering of other people. Late in life, Gautama was given the name Buddha, which means “enlightened because he had gained understanding of spiritual matters. His teachings form the basis of Buddhism, one of the world’s major religions.
BORN TO A FAMILY OF WARRIORS
Buddha was born around 563 BC in Nepal. His family was nobles and warriors. They wanted him to be a warrior, too. But from childhood, Buddha was quiet and thoughtful. He did not like the privileged life at his father’s place. He found it dull. So he began to wander around the countryside, thinking deeply about the right was to live.
BUDDHA SEES SUFFERING
One day, around 533 BC, Buddha came across three men. The first was old, the second was sick, and the third was dead. Looking at them, Buddha saw that the world was full of suffering. Why was this, he wondered. Could it ever end?
Then Buddha met a fourth man: a Hindu monk who lived by begging. The mink was calm and serene, so Buddha decided to try living like him. Buddha raveled through India, studying with Hindu teachers. But their religious ideas did not satisfy him.
THE GREAT ENLIGHTMENT
Buddha also spent time, thinking and meditating. In 528 BC, he was sitting under a tree when he suddenly felt he understood suffering. It was caused by people themselves! If they lived better lives, if would end. Buddha said that everyone should try to be humble, generous, and merciful. People should give up violence and practice self control.
Buddha spent the rest of his life teaching and preaching. Many people followed him. Some became monks and nuns. Others used his ideas to guide their everyday lives. A new religion called Buddhism grew and spread to many parts of the world.
Buddha died in Nepal at about the age of 80. Today, he is still honored by millions of people in many lands.
Siddhartha Gautama, the man who became known as Buddha, could have led a comfortable, carefree life. But he devoted himself to a search for truth and understanding so that he could
help end the suffering of other people. Late in life, Gautama was given the name Buddha, which means “enlightened because he had gained understanding of spiritual matters. His teachings form the basis of Buddhism, one of the world’s major religions.
BORN TO A FAMILY OF WARRIORS
Buddha was born around 563 BC in Nepal. His family was nobles and warriors. They wanted him to be a warrior, too. But from childhood, Buddha was quiet and thoughtful. He did not like the privileged life at his father’s place. He found it dull. So he began to wander around the countryside, thinking deeply about the right was to live.
BUDDHA SEES SUFFERING
One day, around 533 BC, Buddha came across three men. The first was old, the second was sick, and the third was dead. Looking at them, Buddha saw that the world was full of suffering. Why was this, he wondered. Could it ever end?
Then Buddha met a fourth man: a Hindu monk who lived by begging. The mink was calm and serene, so Buddha decided to try living like him. Buddha raveled through India, studying with Hindu teachers. But their religious ideas did not satisfy him.
THE GREAT ENLIGHTMENT
Buddha also spent time, thinking and meditating. In 528 BC, he was sitting under a tree when he suddenly felt he understood suffering. It was caused by people themselves! If they lived better lives, if would end. Buddha said that everyone should try to be humble, generous, and merciful. People should give up violence and practice self control.
Buddha spent the rest of his life teaching and preaching. Many people followed him. Some became monks and nuns. Others used his ideas to guide their everyday lives. A new religion called Buddhism grew and spread to many parts of the world.
Buddha died in Nepal at about the age of 80. Today, he is still honored by millions of people in many lands.
Kingof Asoka
Pillar of Ashoka
This pillar, on display at the museum in Sarnath, India, bears an edict issued by Ashoka, who ruled a vast empire in the Indian subcontinent in the 3rd century BC. The Pillar Edicts, which Ashoka issued late in his reign, were a review of his activities and a testament to hitreess nonviolent and tolerant policies. They show that he promoted the welfare of his subjects by building an extensive network of roads lined with shade .
This pillar, on display at the museum in Sarnath, India, bears an edict issued by Ashoka, who ruled a vast empire in the Indian subcontinent in the 3rd century BC. The Pillar Edicts, which Ashoka issued late in his reign, were a review of his activities and a testament to hitreess nonviolent and tolerant policies. They show that he promoted the welfare of his subjects by building an extensive network of roads lined with shade .
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